Martial Rape, Pulsating Fear, and the Sexual Maltreatment of Girls (παῖδες), Virgins (παρθένοι), and Women (γυναῖκες) in Antiquity

摘要: The variably sequenced tripartite noun phrase, παῖδeς, παρθένοι, and γυναῖκeς, is shown to be a coordinated series signifying “girls, virgins, women,” not, as hitherto interpreted, παῖδeς “male youths” or “boy girl children” plus “virgins women.” Further, “virgins” in this phrase primarily an age designation meaning “emergent adolescent virgin-aged girls.” thus female-specific, it reflects the three life stages of underage girlhood, emergent “virginhood” (or maidenhood), womanhood sexually active wifehood procreative motherhood. In relation female groups, refers females mixed ages from girlhood child-bearing womanhood. Although important itself for raising social visibility girls women antiquity, semantic argument also brings forth new evidence orator Hyperides, Peripatetic Clearchus, historian Diodorus, Roman imperial-era Adoulis inscription about sexual tenor acquisitive goals populace-ravaging warfare against girls, women. Neoplatonist Proclus discloses resultant availability objectified maltreated. These insights reaffirm value linguistics philology powerful tools socio-historical inquiry.